free. free. free. video. free media. london is expected to hand scotland the power to hold an independence referendum just as the u.k.'s prime minister is pressured by his own to hold a similar vote on separating from the european union. a french ground operation in mali is nonstop the days of a heavy bombardment against al qaeda linked insurgents and the growing threat of retaliation against those who support the mission. team of u.n. atomic experts hoping to make progress in nuclear talks while western sanctions shape the country's economy but not its peoples resolve.

international news and comment online on screen around the world this is. scotland may soon get a boost in its push for independence the u.k. house of lords is debating providing edinburgh with the powers necessary to hold a referendum on a breakaway and peace at westminster have already unanimously approved the move the scottish government wants to hold the referendum in the autumn of twenty fourteen this mirrors the strong push for independence within you can't sell for many feel the country should part ways with the e.u. . has more. well the pressure is really piling on the british prime minister david cameron because he's set to give a speech on friday where he wants to talk about renegotiating britain's role within the european union and that's a very difficult situation for him because there's a lot of euro skeptic and. he's who are piling on the pressure saying that you know

the status quo really needs to be changed at the moment at the same time we've got the british public we've recently learned that over fifty percent of them say in a recent poll that they would vote to leave the e.u. because that's fed up with the amount of money that leaves from the british. budget every month goes over to brussels at the same time they want to see a lot of powers returned to the u.k. powers that are currently ceded to brussels to do with extradition to do with the criminal justice system to do with social policies as well so for david cameron it's a difficult situation and there's definitely a feeling that the status quo is definitely being challenge so along with the scottish independence and the possible referendum over that and britain's relationship with the e.u. it's all kind of on shaky ground at the moment we've got a group of euro skeptic m.p.'s within the parliament who say that they've actually got the backing of over one hundred tory m.p.'s who have just outlined

a massive manifesto for change and this comes two days before cameron's big speech and it's almost like a shopping list of demands of what they want to see changed about britain's relationship with europe and if they can't get that they're likely to say well why don't we leave you we have the british electorate who are very very annoyed with everything you're with your feel that she's getting in the way you doing business. in their daily lives which is not one they really expected then you have a generational thing in the united kingdom the referendum on this took place in the mid seventy's so. i'm a middle aged politician and never in my lifetime has there been a chance to have a say on what the relationship with europe should be like so there's a big call for a referendum in the end i think you know and of course the government has been accused of trying to cherry pick the policies that they do want on part of that sort of membership within the e.u. and to. things that they don't want to and reportedly senior officials in brussels

have said that the e.u. membership is not an ally carte menu and that person can't just say we're going to renegotiate our terms it's not as easy as that so for david cameron it's going to be a bit of a tightrope on friday that he's going to have to walk and all eyes are on him for the big speech on friday and coming up we report on how those in britain eyeing an exit from the e.u. may find their case getting a little stronger unemployment to the budget and the unity crisis failed to dampen cypresses goodbye party in brussels with nor make is praising it for exemplary leadership of the european union. is to become a moderate islamist parar of course in protest of the day coming up shortly report on what the government sees as a conspiracy between the people and the judiciary to depose it. first the un's atomic agency experts are back in iran for the second time in little

more than a month to iran hopes this visit will bring clip progress but stresses a deal is only possible if it's right for peaceful nuclear energy respected the west fears that iran is seeking atomic weapons and keep piling sanctions on the country as more information found out they often have the opposite effect to what was intended for the u.s. maybe serious sanctions against iran are not targeted at the general public but there was barely a single person from the population of around seventy five million who hasn't been to. i used to buy tomatoes and boxes now they're selling their own pieces. iran's all experts fell by one million barrels a day in the last year following an international embargo taken sixty percent of the oil revenue the iranian currency lost forty percent of its value against the u.s. dollar causing twenty five percent inflation in october the highest in decades.

behind this current. suffering from rising prices and a lack of food and medicine there were signs the measures arranged at making iran to give up its nuclear program which may or may not be aiming to produce weapons there isn't is the government that we have here they don't like the government they haven't liked the government for the last thirty some years and because of israeli pressures they do want to see the end of the government and having the sanctions to pressure the public opinion inside iran economy is that the very good they are hoping people will go to the streets and protest and have a revolution but the fact seems to be the opposite army of cells iranian carpets one of the country's proud sources of revenue once a critic of the iranian government has recently had a change of heart if for me it's for me then why for another people are for another god who is not forbidden for israel is not for being

a father of five for american is not going to be there for me no. on the raft of war they want to ask me something to do that nor you are free of your free people you know this is the best way which my government. followed not only do they create anger among ordinary iranians and the iranians see their behavior towards their country as a civilized but people in the region and beyond to see what the united states and the europeans are trying to do so the image of the united states and europe is has been severely damaged but iran's image has also been damaged one recent poll shows iran talks the least as the country with the most negative image popular stereotypes include doesn't war and really just fanatics. in britain and many outlets in the united states want to create an image of. from not only the

iranian government but also the iranian people iran has been under sanctions for decades but it's only following the latest round the country's economy has been a visibly shaking and even if some people here the wrong way now think it's down to the authorities mismanagement the majority still hold the u.s. and western responsible this painting behind me have been here for years and as the supreme was quoted here suggests we will not negotiate with america even for a moment the tension it represents will most likely remain here for some time to come gratian all should not be tougher on iran. the u.s. is doubling its presence in spain this year and is just one part of a push for closer military ties across the atlantic as pentagon chief leon panetta makes his final european tour in the post. a suspected gang war claims the life of the person dubbed the king of russia's mafia find out how he was killed

in broad daylight in central moscow. french troops fought their first face to face battle with islamic insurgents in mali. ground operation comes after five days of intense air attacks there the army's aiming to prevent the al qaeda affiliated militant suv seize vast areas in the north of the former french colony from moving towards the capital bamako but the operation has led to the first retaliation now the militants have raided a b.p. gas field in neighboring algeria killing two people and kidnapping a group of around twenty european u.s. and japanese workers that have it done a spokesman for marine le pen president of the national front says this could be a result of france's reckless politics now we're on the third level of four actually concerning the privilege of being attacked by terrorist groups on our own soil it is linked to our international actions and wars that we are leading of

course we are aware of that and it's true it's a reality in libya we supported the revolution who has helped islamist militants to get a lot of money and weapons now today we have to clean. in mali but still we are defending islamist fighting in syria so there is a kind of problem here or in the international level of the french politics many of those who are now fighting the government in the western forces were reportedly trained by american agents as part of a costly program to combat terrorism retired u.s. air force lieutenant colonel karen tell us that's why the u.s. and its nato allies should let other states deal with their own problems. we should not be intervening in countries that we don't understand and i mean i think libya and syria stand as present day examples of that iraq and afghanistan also stand as examples of that we can't to go to countries where we have an interest and that

tends to blind our judgment as to what really is going on on the ground i think if we could let countries kind of settle their problems internally yes people are going to get killed but i think it would be far quicker and far fewer damage to people's to lives to property then when the great powers get involved and that includes ico us in the un i think the government our government the united states wastes a lot of money this is another example of that. well on our website hannity dot com we've been asking what you think the french combat mission in mali will eventually achieve here all of the options we're suggesting on the website would it quickly bring stability to the west african state could it perhaps drag france into a long war in the former colony or could it perhaps incite islamists to launch terror attacks revenge attacks in france or could it result in colonize ation of mali of course mali was became independent back in one thousand nine hundred sixty

after french rule so now let's bring up the numbers your votes from r.t. dot com looking like this at the moment many of you be expressing your views you can see that thirty four percent so far say yes this is going to be a very long conflict not as short as the french authorities think it's going to be thirty two percent thinks it could result in revenge attacks twenty seven percent say this could be the first steps towards recall in a zation and just seven percent of you think that this french intervention will lead to stability in mali and indeed the region well head to r.t. dot com to have your say if you still have it be good to hear from me and of course we'll be following developments in mali and indeed in algeria throughout the day with plenty of reports and live analysis more news after this short break stay with us this is all to life in moscow.

we speak your language i mean for the law in advance. what news programs and documentaries and spanish what matters to you breaking news a little turn it in bangalore's kids stories. are you here to. ensure quality spanish find out more visit actuality r t v dot com.

news continues now here on r.t. security forces have barricaded pakistan's parliament with three layers of shipping containers as tens of thousands of protesters pressed forward their leader an islamic cleric has issued the government with a final ultimatum he's demanding the parliament's dissolution and sweeping election reforms threatening to spark a revolution if he's ignored and now the supreme court ordered the arrest of the prime minister who's in broiled in a bribery scandal or some government officials have called it a conspiracy between protesters the army and the courts. trolly up who's the dean at the school of international affairs in india says that the whole companies rise has been astonishing. mainstream parties have been getting flak deservedly floor or feeling people's expectations on the economic transaction with the lawyers that have been having their sources you know like the media are here's

a recent and many people of course had suspicions that eased the prime by the military establishment in order before there we can be one of the civilian parties and that's the reason why he's getting so much believing and he's been something else you know savior in the messiah of the country music and the system and people little parties and he's already you know the common person grievances against the and there are some. off the civilian side and innovate slagle pincer movement from both sides. are simply not coordinated but what is happening is that it looks like the mass movement that carter is trying to revoke as well as the judiciary seem to dicky cues from each other and timing the laws against the government almost simultaneously which means struggle for democratic institutions in the long run and i'm afraid that. allows levy for the military to remain the ultimate king maker and the property here behind the shuttles and which is not

great news for selfish as a whole because by the standards not genuinely democrat nights we had in trouble one of the most infamous figures son has been killed in moscow he was shot in broad daylight in the city center. often referred to in russia as grandpa his son has often been compared to al capone but his demise today is more reminiscent of the death of another american gangster john dillon the one of the biggest crime laws in russia was shot outside his favorite restaurant in central moscow and the law enforcement agencies have already reported that they have found six gun shells at the side believing this was a direct assassination attempt at ground bar he was delivered to a hospital but later died there without regaining consciousness now grant by her son was almost like a textbook russian mafia gangster as it's always been perceived in the west mostly

thanks to the hollywood movies he has been involved in many different activities the illegal gambling network the sales of weapons and drugs but many have been reporting on him that he was something of a mediator a middleman. mafia talks and he's always been a peacemaker in a different mafia conflicts very well respected by many ethnic criminal groups in russia and it's not be not the first attempt on his life he's had quite a few over the past several decades most notably two years ago in twenty ten there was an attempt on his life when there was information for some time circulating in the media that he was even killed he was shot very seriously in the stomach had a very serious surgery and managed to survive today was not the case grand bar has died in hospital the law enforcement agencies are still investigating exactly what happened in central moscow and what led to the assassination of one of russia's

biggest criminal lords but the main version which is now being considered is obviously some sort of gang war but that is of course is yet to be determined and investigated. online for the moment on our website fifteen years in jail for a name change that's a sentence for the family got for them to use christian names after illegally changing them in official documents. to bring hundreds of tons worth of gold back from vaults in the u.s. and france you can find out why online at r.t. dot com and also. members bid to have her sentence suspended so she can care for her young son is thrown out of court but why she wasn't successful we'll get the details on a website. to

the floor of the european parliament cyprus was asked to assess its actions over the last six months during which the country presided over the e.u. it was a period that saw unemployment skyrocket britain the exit door and talks on the e.u. trillion euro project collapse but as it turns out that's not how brussels sort instead he can praise on cypriot leadership has this report. well it was all hunch aches and slaps on the back as any piece went through what cyprus is done in this six month tenure as the e.u. presidency the president of cyprus saying that it was a time in which they the chief significant results and targets strange words considering that it was also a period in which the e.u. went through rising unemployment no agreement on an e.u. budget and in which cyprus continued to ask for a bailout i have to say a bailout which from here in germany many politicians all across the the bundestag

are very reluctant to approve this amid allegations of widespread tax fraud cypriot banks but what happens next the battle and gets passed on of the e.u. presidency gets passed on to the island of course a country that has had its own problems this but on essentially seeming to be passed on in the relay race of the fiscally toxic island of course had to receive e.u. and i.m.f. bailout money they've also had their own problems with unemployment and it's up to them to try and put that right in the next six months which they take over the presidency. r.t. live here in moscow now for some more world news in our world update least seventeen people have been killed in two suicide car bomb attacks near the headquarters of the kurdish democratic party in the northern iraqi city of kirkuk officials said more than one hundred were also wounded no one has yet claimed responsibility attacks by insurgents are still frequent in iraq with the country pressured by ethnic and sectarian divides. a helicopter crashed

in central london during the morning rush hour leaving two people dead and injuring thirty nine others the chopper clipped a crane on the skyscraper just a kilometer self of parliament in westminster spilling burning fuel into the street and setting two cars on fire is thought the part of the das to change course because of bad weather. an eight story building has collapsed killing twenty two and injuring eleven in the coastal egyptian city of alexandria rescue teams are on the scene searching for survivors it's not known what caused the accident but egypt has a record of lax enforcement of planning regulations. a suicide bomb blast to afghanistan spy agency has killed two civilians and injured dozens more a car laden with explosives was detonated by an attacker in front of the gates of the building five men wearing vests of explosives were then shot by security guards as they try to get inside the taliban has claimed responsibility. and finally in

our world update this hour a school bus drivers in new york of gone on strike leaving more than one hundred fifty thousand students stranded they are calling for greater job security something the mayor says he's not legally allowed to give them subway passes will be given out and taxi fares will be reimbursed for students trying to get to school it's the first time in thirty four years that school drivers have taken industrial action and one more world update the israeli police arrested more than a dozen palestinian protesters attempting to return to a camp in the west bank last week demonstrators constructed a tent camp on an area israel has marked for new settlements aiming to make a village of their own it was then cleared by security forces israel's decision to go ahead with its plan to build new settler homes in the west bank has been widely condemned and is illegal under international law. and it's less than a week until we find out whether benjamin netanyahu is reelected as israel holds

a snap parliamentary election this coming tuesday with the situation in the middle east heavily dependent on the outcome the whole world will be watching the vote closely don't miss our special coverage. how will tensions with to run develop rule sets over the expansion isolate trial there be peace with gaza what's next in relations with america we'll let you know who survive his snuff election on january twenty second. israel decides what r.t. . outgoing u.s. defense secretary leon panetta is on a week long trip to europe to discuss close military link ups it includes a visit to spain where washington is looking to double its defense presence this year spanish international affairs experts believe this is just one part of america's push to extend its worldwide influence. you have to take into account that there are two strains of thought within diplomatic circles in the united states or one of them is that they have to and the

most serious danger comes from the east from china and saw they feel it should reinforce their military and political presence in asia the other strain and leon panetta and president obama are part of it says that the u.s. has to be present in the world so the operation and therefore they also have to deploy them to missile defense shield as a provocation against russian. regime change comes at a high cost a recent study of the arab spring has revealed that the egyptian syrian and libyan revolutions could set those countries back some two hundred twenty five billion dollars middle east economic analyst thinks that the process to revive the economy is concerned will be a slow and painful one. we're talking about a complete structural change in how these economies work you know removing and reforming energy subsidies and subsidies changing the way the government deal with businesses and and laws and constitutions and i think we're going to see in several

years the of the hard slog i think it's not going to be as smooth as we saw in two thousand and eleven things are going to be difficult for the region for some time. well that's it for me and the news team for the moment we'll be back with more for you in thirty five minutes from now in the meantime we have peace in the bells crosstalk stay with us for that. wealthy british style it's time to explain the time to go. to. market why not. find out what's really happening to the global economy is a report on our. more

news today violence is once again flared up. these are the images the world has been seeing from the streets of canada. showing operations around the dead. deadly rivals the decades. if you had fifteen thousand people killing each other in any other country there would be diplomats there would be a. self-imposed

costs from society i will attack myself chemical attack my brother understand my contacts. going to eventually attack the cause of my anger and my frustration. that. well into the. truth of the most violent gangs in us history. it's just all model killer chill with colors matching the national flag. but this country uses violence when it reaches and then it legitimizes that. they

are made in america. hello and welcome to cross talk russia's economy in two thousand and thirteen what are its strengths weaknesses opportunities and threats is the russian economy becoming more or less competitive is the pace of reform on track and is russia prepared to withstand external shocks. to cross-talk the prospects of the russian economy in two thousand and thirteen i'm joined by my guest in moscow jake up you know he's the chief economist at morgan stanley ben ayres he's the editor in chief of business new europe and you just laugh lisa volek he is the chief economist at deutsche bank russia all right

gentlemen crossed out rules in effect i mean you can jump in anytime you want before we talk about the swat analysis of the russian economy ben i want to go to you i mean newsweek a few days ago a writer on matthews and we have ed lucas over at the economist they keep telling me for about a decade now that this economy is about to collapse now you're a journalist is well you don't say the same thing where's the disconnect. people tend to focus on the negative part of the story and the trouble at the russia story is that there are lots of problems and if you focus on those then you can forecast all sorts of gloom and doom the imminent collapse of the oil price that will bring the russian economy down in flames but the reality is that it continues to grind away and make progress and. you're i mean look at the the situation in europe and the facts in russia at the moment although the economy has slowed considerably from about four percent starting to see it's about two point two so your external reasons or is it domestically. both.